Strong quake causes panic in Myanmar

YANGON: A powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar on Sunday, sparking panic in the country's second-largest city as terrified residents fled shaking buildings, witnesses said.
A series of strong aftershocks added to the nervousness, although there was no initial information from authorities of casualties or serious damage.
The shallow 6.8-magnitude quake hit around 116 kilometres (72 miles) north of Mandalay at a depth of just 10 kilometres, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It initially put the magnitude of the quake at 7.0.
"I ran from my bed carrying my daughter out to the street. There were many people in the road. Some were shouting and others felt dizzy," Mandalay resident San Yu Kyaw told AFP by telephone.
"People are now scared of more earthquakes. Especially those who live or run businesses in high-rise buildings are desperate and don't know what to do," he said.
There were no immediate reports of building collapses but construction standards are generally poor in the country formerly known as Burma, one of Asia's most impoverished nations.
A large crack stretching from the second to the sixth floor of Mandalay's highest building, the 25-storey Mann Myanmar Plaza, appeared after the quake, a local resident told AFP. He said people were afraid to enter the structure and it remains closed.
The USGS issued a yellow alert, saying "some casualties and damage are possible" but that the impact should be relatively localised.
The quake hit at 7:42 am (0112 GMT) and was followed by two shallow 5.0-magnitude aftershocks within 20 minutes, according to the USGS.
It comes little more than a week before US President Barack Obama is due in Myanmar on a historic visit, as the West begins to roll back sanctions to reward a series of dramatic political reforms under President Thein Sein.
The quake was felt in neighbouring Thailand, including in the capital Bangkok, according to reports on social media websites.
It struck around 572 kilometres east of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, one of the world's biggest cities.